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Glossary

All unusual terms on this website are explained in detail in the Glossary.
We suggest you print it for reference
while reading our papers. Press the Glossary link above for a copy.

This section of the website contains a number of our articles on various topics about management and organizations. The treatment of these topics is both fresh and sophisticated, based on solid research, broad experience, and the state-of-the-art in relevant disciplines. Many widely misunderstood ideas are clarified, and many myths and common illusions are debunked.

The emphasis in the articles is on

    • Laying a sound foundation for a good grasp of the topic
    • Explaining high-quality cognitive maps for the topic
    • Detailing practical methodologies for applying these maps in
        real-world management and organizational situations

These articles are written to be useful to executives, managers, super-
visors, and nonmanagers of all levels of experience. Those fairly new to management will find excellent introductions to the key areas they need to master. More experienced managers will gain advanced ideas and methods they are unlikely to find anywhere else.

Contents of This Section

Here are the articles in the Library, in pdf format for convenience in printing. Press the View button next to the title of each paper to view and print it. We suggest printing, rather than reading on the screen.

“The Root Dilemma for Managers
& How to Resolve It”

    • Revolutionary insights into the source of all management problems
    • Identifies managers’ Root Dilemma
    • Shows how all management challenges arise
    • Explains why many things managers do don’t have much effect
    • Details the key things managers need to do to succeed
    • Describes the kinds of solutions that can work for managers

    • Explains origins of management in the nature of human groups
    • Shows how managers emerge naturally
    • Defines the Management Contract all managers implicitly agree to
    • Evaluates the importance of managers to organizations
    • Managing styles versus differing levels of Development of groups

    • The solution to the Root Dilemma for managers
    • Totally new, state-of-the-art management framework
    • Completely covers everything managers need to do
    • Best available guide to the job of management
    • Managers’ key skills & essential functions
    • Explains the “Comprehensive Map of Management” in brief
    • Lays out full scope of management & requirements for success
    • Criteria to measure success as a manager

“The Truth about Feedback & its Applications
in Organizations”

    • The idea of “feedback” is frequently misunderstood
    • Defines & clears up myths, common misunderstandings, & misuse
    • Straight from the discipline that invented feedback: Cybernetics
    • New, unique tool to assess & improve quality of any feedback loop
    • Explained using thermostats & mortars
    • Correct understanding & use of positive & negative feedback
    • How to assess & improve feedback quality & effectiveness
    • Uses: communication, listening, performance appraisals, planning,
             problem-solving, decision-making, & stakeholder satisfaction

“The Right Media to Use for Messages”

    • The four main media people use for communicating
    • Levels of verbal & nonverbal information contained in each
    • Presence & quality of feedback for each medium
    • When & how to use each of these four media for best effect
    • Avoiding common pitfalls that lead to misunderstanding & conflict

“The Dirty Dozen: Twelve Disasters in Listening”

    • Counterproductive things we say when trying to help
    • Description of all twelve disastrous ways to listen
    • Four alternatives that actually work

“How to Plan & Conduct Effective Meetings”

    • Debunking common myths about meetings
    • How to make meetings worthwhile, valuable, & enjoyable
    • What meetings are really for, and what they’re not for
    • Preparation that helps make meetings work, not hinders them
    • Things to do during the meeting that make all the difference
    • A simple, powerful tool to measure & improve meeting-quality
    • Writing up meeting notes efficiently & effectively
    • For facilitating or conducting teams, staff, or company meetings

“The Foundations of Interpersonal Communication”

    • A breath of fresh air in a field crowded with junk
    • Advanced, highly effective theory, models, & techniques
    • Explains 4 communication skills everyone needs
        Clear, candid, inoffensive self-expression
        Easy, accurate understanding of others
        Advanced empathy
        Meta-communication, to solve communication problems as they arise
    • Explains all the reasons why people communicate
    • Who should go first
    • The 5 Modes of Experience: the necessary parts of messages

“Being an Effective Change-Agent: The Key to
Interpersonal Skill”

    • What are change agents
    • Kinds of change-agent relationships
    • Uses & importance of change agency in management
    • The four criteria to assess & improve effectiveness
    • How to improve your effectiveness as a change agent

Notices